Bougainville Copper Limited’s (BCL) proposal to the Autonomous Bougainville Government (AGB) on re-opening Panguna copper mine has brought satisfaction to landowners. The details of the BCL forward plans for Panguna were made at a presentation by the company recently. The chairman of the Port Mine Access Road, Mr Peter Miriona, said the proposal was satisfactory Read more
Two sedition trials involving a number of indigenous Fijians began this week. Both cases centre around alleged efforts to set up separate Christian states. The first case involving 16 people from Ra is to proceed with the defendants facing adjusted charges after a court hearing on Monday. The accused were originally variously charged with sedition Read more
The World Health Organisation says it’s likely dengue is being spread across the Pacific by travellers. In the Solomon Islands more than 10-thousand dengue fever cases have been confirmed since an outbreak last August, Vanuatu has had more than 1700 since November, and New Caledonia has had more than 1-thousand cases since September. WHO surveillance Read more
The Bishop of Kiribati, Paul Mea, says the Catholic church does not support a Russian man having his own empire in Kiribati. “I think he knows that in Kiribati the churches are very influential with the government. That’s why he came to visit me,” said Mea. Anton Bakov, a Russian businessman who is the head Read more
The Fiji Government will not fund religion says the prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama. While responding to pleas from villagers on Saturday, Bainimarama said if Government handed out assistance to a certain church group, others would follow suit. He said this could not be done because Government did not have the funds just to assist religious groups Read more
A multi-faith national service was be held on Monday to mark the first anniversary of Tropical Cyclone Winston. The service was held at Albert Park Pavilion in Suva. Employers had been asked to let as many workers as possible attend the ceremony which was led by the president Jioji Konrote. Representatives of some of the Read more
The chancellor of Samoa’s Catholic Archdiocese said he supports proposed amendment to the constitution which will declare Samoa a Christian nation. He said while people of other faiths should not be worried by the amendment. But it will stop those who create conflict in the name of religion from coming to Samoa. “It doesn’t mean Read more
Tonga’s Prime Minister says the ratification of the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) has divided the nation. Mr ‘Akilisi Pohiva said local women’s groups would again be asked to carry out public consultations. Tonga has been preparing to ratify the convention since 2015. Last year Pohiva said the Read more
Cardinal Raymond Burke says he’s aiming to wrap up the sex abuse investigation involving Guam’s suspended archbishop by the “summer”. (ie. in the northern hemisphere) He is presiding over the church tribunal hearing the case against Archbishop Anthony Apuron, who faces multiple allegations of sex abuse of altar boys in the 1970s. Apuron has denied the Read more
There is a need to limit and be very careful about allowing new religious groups to come into villages because they have different beliefs says Ministry of iTaukei Affairs permanent secretary He said that they are asking these religious groups to follow the proper channel and liaise with the village headmen. “New religious and church Read more